Cooking

When the temperature dips into the 30s and 40s this time of year, it’s time to start thinking about making some good, slow-simmered stew on the stove.
Using a combination of small cuts of meat (beef, pork, veal or lamb) along with various vegetable of your liking, and then placing them in a large covered pot and simmering them in a seasoned liquid for a long period of time would probably constitute being called a stew.

Most of us these days are trying to watch our weight and eat a healthier diet. When you walk down the aisles at your favorite grocery store, you notice products labeled “no cholesterol” or “low cholesterol.” What does this mean?
In some respects, it is a marketing gimmick. Stores could put a sign above the entire produce section that says “cholesterol-free,” since cholesterol is only found in products that originate from animals. Plant-based products have no cholesterol.

So now what? You bought and prepared a 22-pound turkey (you have no idea why) and you have more than half of it left over. You made some sort of candied fruit dish with apples that you forgot to serve in all the commotion. Your special cranberry salad was barely touched. All those mashed potatoes …what were you thinking?

The Thanksgiving holiday is all about traditions. Most American families usually have their own tradition when celebrating Thanksgiving, from preparing the turkey and/or ham, to attending the holiday parades, to watching the many football games on TV, or to just lounging around with many friends who have gathered for the holiday.

Next to beef, veal calves are the second largest animal that farmers raise. Veal is a tender meat, with the tenderest cuts coming from the loin, breast, and leg. Compared to other meats such as pork, beef and chicken, all veal cuts are extra lean.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to veal. With a vast assortment of available cuts, veal can be grilled, sautéed, braised, roasted, slow-cooked and pan-fried.

Who says Halloween is just for the kids? Years ago, my wife and I attended a Halloween dinner prepared by a good friend of ours, Jim Stanley, from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Jim said, “It’s not really about the food as much as it is about the atmosphere you create and the presentation of the dishes and the implication of what they might be.”

The frequency with which we eat salads may provide clues about our personality type. Those of us who eat salads at least once a week are considered more trustworthy than those who never eat salads. Those who eat salads at least five or more times a week are considered less shy than those who eat salads less often.
With what meals do you usually consume a salad? Do you eat your salad as your main meal or at lunch? Those who consider themselves athletic do not usually eat salads as their main meal at dinner.

Sauerbraten is a German specialty (sour roast) consisting of a beef roast marinated for 2-3 days in vinegar and/or beer and spices such as cloves, juniper berries, allspice and peppercorns, bay leaves and onions.
The roast is then braised in the marinade over low heat for a few hours, resulting in very tender melt-in-the-mouth meat.
A popular variation is the addition of gingersnaps, which are crumbled into the sauce to help thicken it and/or the addition of raisins or currants.

For more than a decade, I’ve been making great dessert crepes stuffed with lemon soufflé and other types of fruit fillings and dusted with powered sugar. I’ve also had good success with the classic crepe suzette, which is nothing more than dessert crepes bathed in an orange-flavored sauce and then, for dramatic flare, flamed with a little Grand Marnier or Cointreau.